The Seattle Mariners have signed right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, adding a pitcher with five seasons of major-league experience and a track record as a mid-rotation starter.
Woods Richardson, who debuted with the Minnesota Twins on Oct. 2, 2022, elected free agency on Sept. 1 after being outrighted by the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 25-year-old from Sugar Land, Texas, gives Seattle another option as it tries to stay relevant in a crowded American League West.
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Woods Richardson works with a fastball that has sat in the low-to-mid 90s and a mix that produced league-average results over two full seasons as a Twin.
After a 5-5 mark and 4.17 ERA across 28 starts in 2024, he followed with a 7-4 record and 4.04 ERA in 22 starts in 2025. Combined from 2024-25 he posted a 4.11 ERA in 245 innings with a roughly average strikeout-to-walk profile.
Those numbers slipped in 2026. Minnesota designated him for assignment after an 0-7 start and 7.74 ERA in 12 appearances. Toronto reacquired him for cash—the second time the Blue Jays have obtained him, after first landing him in the 2019 Marcus Stroman trade—and used him mostly in relief.
He went 2-0 with a 3.93 ERA in eight games before another designation and his decision to test free agency.
Career totals stand at 14-17 with a 4.72 ERA, 272 strikeouts and 320⅔ innings. He was a second-round pick by the Mets in 2018 (48th overall) out of Kempner High School and later moved in the José Berríos deal that sent him to Minnesota. He also represented the United States at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Mariners, sitting several games under .500 and chasing Houston and Texas, traded Luis Castillo in early August and have mixed veteran and young arms.
Woods Richardson has history against Seattle: he threw 11 scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts in two prior starts versus the club. A change of scenery and a defined role—spot starter or multi-inning reliever—could help him recapture the form that made him a reliable innings-eater in Minnesota.
The deal is a low-risk addition for a club that still has games left and a rotation that has absorbed injuries and midseason turnover.
At this stage of the season, Woods Richardson’s experience since 2022 and prior success against AL West lineups make him a practical depth piece rather than a headline acquisition.
How quickly he can settle into T-Mobile Park and limit walks will determine whether the signing pays off in September.
